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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Unexpected Ailments Should Be Considered As Accidents: Human Rights Commission

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has
directed insurance companies that claims related to unexpected ailments should
be treated as accidents and cannot be repudiated.

The Commission was hearing a case in which a fisherman from Poonthura, Mr.
Hridayadasan suffered a heart attack off the coast of Poonthura. Hridayadasan
was insured with the New India Assurance, a state-run insurance company but he
was denied the insurance amount saying that heart stroke was not eligible for
getting any insurance claim.

The Commission headed by Mr. J B Koshy asked New India Assurance to reexamine
its decision to reject claim. “Denying compensation after receiving premium is
a violation of human rights," he said. Hridayadasan has been paying the
premium for his health insurance policy for 7 years.

On June 2, 2013, the fisherman Mr. Hridayadasan had suffered heart attack and
since then he been not able to move. The fisherman received a sum of Rs. 50,000
from the Kerala Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, but according to the
Commission, it was not sufficient for his treatment expenses.

The Commission cited the decisions of the Karnataka and the Odisha High Courts
in which it had been ruled that unexpected ailments should be considered as
accidents and compensations had to be paid.

The Commission asked the New India Assurance Company to respond to the
Commission before June 10, 2014.